


writing angsty songs of unrequited love (except it's actually requited)

by clockworkcheetah



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: First Kiss, Flirting, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Pining, Post-Canon, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:27:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27905203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clockworkcheetah/pseuds/clockworkcheetah
Summary: Piers doesn't understand Raihan, sometimes.
Relationships: Kibana | Raihan/Nezu | Piers
Comments: 4
Kudos: 75





	writing angsty songs of unrequited love (except it's actually requited)

**Author's Note:**

> one day i will actually plan a kbnz fic. also i might go hammier with piers accent (he actually has a similar dialect to me which makes me happy)  
> how do title

One day, Piers will understand Raihan. 

This was not one of those days. Or weeks. Or months. 

Ever since that dynamax incident with those two brothers- who had the audacity to insult his looks, when they were walkin' around lookin' like that- Raihan was weirdly fixated on a rematch with him. 

Piers had no idea why him specifically. He saw the new Champ fighting (wouldn't he wanna make her his new rival? Or wasn't Leon still enough?) and Leon's little brother Hop could certainly pull his own weight- wouldn't he be asking them for rematches? Piers has a soft spot for those kids and they were much more skilled than he was. He wasn't even a Gym Leader anymore. 

He's just Piers. 

And yet, almost every day, his phone buzzes insistently. Piers can't bring himself to block the number- Raihan was one of the few people he considers a friend. And he can't silence his phone- Marnie might need him. 

(She doesn't, at all- she's grown up enough, and as the new Gym Leader, she doesn't need him anymore. But as Piers can step down from Gym Leader, he can't step down from big brother.) 

He hasn't been ignoring Raihan. But he has, rather blatantly, been ignoring texts specific to the rematch. Piers hoped he would get the hint. He suspects Raihan might be using it as an excuse to hang out, because Piers hasn't left Spikemuth since the incident, and hasn't made the effort to invite Raihan over. Nobody invites people over to Spikemuth. 

Piers, like the dark types he raises, is wary and cautious to a fault. He's known Raihan for years, and he is a friend, but habits don't die easy for Piers. In his experience, there's always, always, something else going on behind the scenes. 

But Raihan, like the dragon types he raises, is stubborn and unperturbed by Piers' caginess, so he manages to whittle Piers down, and Piers reluctantly texts Raihan back. 

_\- sure. meet tomorrow at 1? at the bridge or wild area. whatever._

_\- yeah! bridge good  
_ _-see u then!  
_ _-its a date ;)_

Piers froze. Raihan's naturally flirty and charming, so it's hard to tell if he's being serious or not. For Piers, flirting came from either his musician status- everyone wants to fuck a musician- or it was a joke, although that was more apparent when he was an awkward teen- he's grown to bite back since. 

Raihan's text certainly seems teasing, though not in a malicious way. He probably thinks it's a harmless joke, whilst Piers' brain massively overthinks what those three words and winky face could entail. 

Nope. Nope nope nope. It ain't that deep. Raihan's just playful. Calm down. 

Piers shifts his mind over to his team. It's been a while since he trained with them. He's mostly been letting them romp around in the tiny flat, or hang out in the area designated the Gym, when Marnie didn't need it- he doesn't like them being cooped up. 

He supposes he should have some practice training, though he doubts it'll do much- Raihan is not someone he's had any luck beating. Even without the benefit of dynamax, Raihan's team is tough. 

But, it'll good for them. Piers gets up from the sofa and stretches, hearing his back crack. Team Yell love a good fight, so he's got a good training ground. And well, he's got no plans for the rest of the day anyway. 

He whistles for his Obstagoon. It bounds up to him, excited. 

"C'mon, buddy." He says, petting its head. "Let's make trouble." 

* * *

He's the second-best trainer in Spikemuth, so he predictably beats Team Yell. He feels good, though- all fired up and excited like he does when he fights. He sleeps surprisingly well for someone who considers four hours 'sleeping well'. 

His team is in as good shape as ever. Even if they don't win, Piers is confident they'll hold their own against Raihan. 

He crawls out of bed just before eleven, and heads for the kitchen. Marnie is at the table, eating cereal. 

"You're up early." She says, mildly surprised. To be fair, Piers rarely wakes before noon. 

He shrugs, putting bread in the toaster. "Got plans today." He gestures the toaster. "You wan' some?" 

She shakes her head. "Must be a big thing, then. When do ya eat breakfast?" 

"Promised a fight with Rai. Can't fight right with an empty belly, y'know?" 

Marnie rolls her eyes. "Ya groupies kept remindin' me durin' my challenge. Ya don't even follow that." She pauses. "Til now. Somethin' ya not tellin' me?" 

The toast pops up. Piers moves to grab it, hoping he isn't blushing. His sister is annoyingly observant sometimes- he rarely makes an effort, unless it's a concert. He waves at her. "Go be the best Gym Leader in Galar and lemme go an' be... me or whatever." 

She gives him a curious look, like she wants to say something, but decides against it. "Don't do nothin' stupid." She says, eventually. "Comin' home tonight?" 

"Prolly." Piers says, vaguely. He moves to the table, just as Marnie gets up to put her bowl in the sink. She heads out to the hallway. 

"See ya!" She calls out, opening the door. 

"See ya." He responds. He sighs to himself quietly, when the door clicks shut. 

He _is_ making a thing of it. It's just a battle between two friends. He nibbles his toast, though he feels any appetite he did have slowly going. He eats anyway- Raihan does sometimes chastise him for not having three meals a day. 

Piers spends the rest of the morning getting ready, debating on what to wear. The wild area has unpredictable weather, and he's fighting against someone infamous for fucking around with the weather. He settles for something practical and layered, so he can just take it off if it's a heatwave, or if Raihan makes it a heatwave. 

Heading out to the streets of Spikemuth, Piers thinks about various things; new song lyrics, his team, relief that he's now retired, but his mind always drifts back to him. 

Raihan. 

Piers doesn't do encores. He doesn't write romance songs. Doesn't do love. 

Except... he does. Rarely. But it happens. He never writes love songs about specific people, though- usually just sultry, lustful tunes about nobody. But there's always a first for everything. 

His heart gets wormed into by certain people. He almost, almost wants to write a song about unrequited love. Make it about Raihan, without being too obvious. He's a master of ambiguity, nobody would know. Maybe many years down the line, when they're old, he'll admit to Raihan that yeah that one song? About you. 

Piers doubts he'll make it that far, though. Best stick to the present. Speaking of, he's already at the bridge. He's early, so Raihan isn't here. He's more than a little relieved. 

_\- yo. here now._

_\- sweet!  
-im like 2 mins away _

Piers leans against the railings, humming under his breath. He tips his head to the cool breeze. 

"Hey!" 

Piers looks over to Raihan jogging up towards him. Did he run here? 

"S'up." Piers waves in greeting. 

"Hey, man. It's good to see you." Raihan says, in his usual cheery tone. He's in his usual attire, it's a rarity to see him in anything else. 

"Uh... same." Piers winces slightly. His conversational abilities have always been debatable. "Should we...?" 

"Yeah, let's go." 

* * *

Walking back down the bridge, Piers realises somewhat awkwardly that they shouldn't have met at the eastern bridge. It was just unnecessary for Raihan. 

"Sorry for like... makin' ya come out here." Piers mumbles. "Shoulda jus' met at the Wild Area." 

Raihan grins. "Nah, it's not a problem, mate." He winks. "Gotta keep in shape anyway." 

"Mmm." 

They make it into Hammerlocke, they are no hurry, so it's a fairly leisurely stroll. It almost makes it like a date. A tiny part of Piers pretends it is. He can self-indulge a little, nobody needs to know. 

"D'you wanna eat first?" Raihan asks. "Or, just make some curry after?" 

"Curry after." Piers says. He sorta regrets it. Hammerlocke does have some cafes, with nicer food. It's falling a little too far into date territory. 

Raihan shrugs, unfazed. He's apparently unaware that Piers is a flustering mess right now. They manage to make it to the Wild Area without Piers being obvious that he has a crush. 

They find an area that wasn't too close to any tall grass and riling up the wild pokemon, and the weather was mild. 

"You ready?" Raihan asks, he already has that excited glint in his eye. 

Piers smiles back. He was never much of a Gym Leader, but he could get excited as anybody during a battle. "You know I am." 

* * *

It's a close match, scarily close. But alas, Piers loses. Obstagoon got Duraludon to red health though, and he was certain there was just one hit left. 

Maybe next time. 

What next time? 

This was just a one-time thing. 

"Holy shit!" Raihan pumps the air. "You are way too good, Piers!" 

"I... lost?" Piers frowns, rummaging through his bag for some revives. 

"So? We always have crazy close matches. It's great!" 

Raihan's enthusiasm is infectious, Piers' mouth twitches. "Yeah, it is." 

Raihan claps him on the back. "It's curry time aaaaaaand-" His rotomphone hovers in front of them. "Smile!" 

Piers is in too good of a mood to decline, despite the loss. He isn't a smiler for the camera, though. Raihan can't sway him that much. 

They make the curry together- a spicy one, neither of them (or their teams) are mild lovers. Towards the tail-end of their meal, their pokemon are starting to doze off in the late afternoon sun. Piers sits opposite Raihan, starting to pick at his meal. 

"I'm kind of surprised." Raihan says, wiping his mouth with a napkin. 

"With?" 

"Agreeing to a battle." 

Piers frowns. "Ya kept askin'." 

Raihan hums thoughtfully. "True. But it's still surprising, considering you've retired from battling." 

"Retired from bein' the leader." Piers corrects. "I still like fightin'. Jus' it's nice when I don't gotta do it cause I gotta, y'know?" 

"Yeah, I get that." Raihan stretches, causing his hoodie to ride up to show a strip of skin. Piers looks away. "Maybe we shouldn't say 'retired', though. Makes you sound like you're eighty." 

Piers snorts. "Maybe I am. Ya don't know me." 

Raihan whistles. "Looking good for your age then." 

"H-hey." Piers feels heat rise in his cheeks. 

Raihan just smiles. Piers was about to say something that he may potentially regret, when he feels something nudge his arm. It's Obstagoon, eyeing his plate of unfinished curry. Piers rolls his eyes, but pushes the plate towards it. 

"Have it. Yer did good." 

Obstagoon lets out a pleased growl and finishes the meal. Piers scratches its head, affectionately. 

"I've never seen you that sweet before." Raihan says. "Except with your sis." 

"I ain't heartless." Piers scoffs. "Although, can't ruin my rep. Nobody can know I do cute, sometimes." 

"Secret's safe with me." 

They clear away the cooking gear, and return their teams to their pokeballs, working in a comfortable silence. They start to head back up to the Hammerlocke's gate. 

"Thanks for agreeing to the battle." Raihan says. He tugs at his headband, as if to adjust it. "I know I pestered you a bit. Or, a lot." 

"S'fine. Nice to get out for a bit." 

"I'm glad I have the power to make you socialise." 

"Don't abuse it. Yer like the only one I'm social with. Aside from Marns." 

The corner of Raihan's eyes crinkle. " You like spending time with me?" 

"It ain't- actually... yeah, guess it's weird for me." Piers swallows, nervously. "I like spendin' time with ya. Like... kinda surprised ya like spendin' time with me. I ain't much. And yer so much great." 

"You're plenty much great!" Raihan blurts. He blinks, looking unexpectedly flustered. "I mean, like- I think you're cool. During our gym challenge, I was excited when we crossed paths- I didn't think we'd see each other after it- so, y'know." 

Piers gapes like a magikarp. Any cool reputation he had is dying rapidly. 

"I was dead excited when I learnt you were a Gym Leader- because how could you not have been? You're tough.” Raihan continues, looking all earnest. “And, yeah, you're hardly the pinnacle of a social butterfree, but you're- you're cool as hell." 

"I-" Piers stammers. 

Raihan raises his hands. "Hey, it's fine. You don't need to respond to all that. That was... that was a lot." 

"No, it's-" Piers takes a breath. "Jus' ain't use to someone... someone bein' nice to me. Genuinely." 

"More fool them." 

"Don't sell ya self short, by the way." 

"Never do." 

Piers glowers. "I ain't gonna compliment ya now." 

"Wait, no! I am!" 

"Yeah, alright. Ya like-" Piers mulls his words over. "Way too good. Yer big an' loud an' own the stage- it's like... mesmerisin' seein' ya battle. But yer also gentle... quiet, sometimes. S'nice to just... just _be_ , when with ya. It's easy to." 

Raihan looks shellshocked. Then he smiles softly, like he learnt something truly wonderful. 

"Hey, Piers." Raihan says, stepping into his space. 

Piers looks up at him. "Y-yeah?" 

"Please tell me if I'm not misreading this." Raihan gestures between them. "This. Us. Please tell me I'm not wrong." 

Their faces are inches apart. "No... it's...all right." 

Raihan initiates the kiss. Piers stands on his tiptoes, so Raihan doesn't need to crane his neck too much. It's a small kiss- shy, but teetering on the edge of playful. Piers can feel Raihan's smile, warm hands cupping his face, thumbs stroking his cheeks. Piers grasps at Raihan's hoodie. 

They pull apart, but stay close. Piers lowers back down from his tiptoes. 

"Been wanting to do that for a while." Raihan murmurs, resting his forehead against Piers. 

"Same. Was gonna write a song 'bout it." 

"Oh? About yours truly?" 

Piers feels his face heat up. He hides in Raihan's chest. "Don't flatter yerself. Was gonna be angsty shite." 

Raihan laughs. Piers can feel the rumble of his chest. 

"And now?" 

Piers hums. "Might be a bit happier. Just a bit." 

"Looking forward to it." 

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr is clockworkcheetah
> 
> sorry i didnt write an actual battle fight scenes are not my strong point  
> also i was totally gonna have raihan say 'i'm cute. do me!' but it didnt really fit in the fic lmao (he totally thought it though)


End file.
